Archive for February, 2017

Connecticut: Anti-Gun Bill which Violates Fourth Amendment Heads to Committee – NRA ILA

Tomorrow at 9:00 a.m., the Joint Committee on the Judiciary will hold a meeting to decide whether the committee isgoingto hearHouse Bill 6200.Introduced by state Representatives Caroline Simmons (D-144), William Tong (D-147), and Daniel J. Fox (D-148), HB 6200 would require a person openly carrying a firearm to display their permit immediately upon demand by law enforcement. Please contact the members of the Joint Committee on Judiciary and urge them not to hear this bill!Please click the Take Action button below to contact the committee members!

It is legal to openly carry a handgun in Connecticut so long as the person has a valid Permit to Carry. Connecticut State Police Training Bulletin 2013-01 states that personnel shouldNOTarrest a properly permitted individual merely for publicly carrying a hand gun or firearm in plain view absent exigent circumstances. Examples of these exigent circumstances are a Breach of Peace situation or the person is under the influence of intoxicating liquor/drugs.

Under the Fourth Amendment, as affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court in Terry v. Ohio nearly half a century ago, police officers can stop and briefly detain a person to investigate only if they have a reasonable suspicion, supported by articulable facts that criminal activity is occurring. This is why Connecticut law should require that officers must have a reasonable suspicion that a crime is being committed before they can request proof of a permit.

This proposed bill is the equivalent of allowing the police to stop a motorist to demand their drivers license solely because they are driving. Law-abiding people carry firearms for self-defense. They shouldn't be treated as being engaged in criminal activity simply because they are choosing to openly exercise their constitutional Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

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Connecticut: Anti-Gun Bill which Violates Fourth Amendment Heads to Committee - NRA ILA

Best free audio software: Free Audio Editor – PC Advisor

Audio editing and recording software doesn't need to cost a lot PC Advisor With the rise of podcasts and online music sharing, more people than ever are in need of music and audio software, but not everyone can afford an Adobe subscription. We've scoured the web for the best free audio software for musicians on a budget, and thrown in a couple of paid options just in case too.

Whether its for making music or recording a podcast, more people than ever are finding themselves in need of audio editing software. While you can spend hundreds of pounds on professional-grade tools, there are also plenty of budget-friendly options, including some great free audio editing software so you neednt pay a penny.

Read next: Best free video editing software

Its worth noting that this list will include a mix of audio editors and digital audio workstations (DAWs), but well try and flag what sort of features you can expect from each program. Weve also thrown in a couple of cheap paid audio editors at the end of the list for anyone whos happy to spend a little bit but doesnt have the budget for full-featured pro software.

Get Audacity for free

Any search for the best free audio editor is likely to turn up Audacity first, and for good reason. The open-source software is entirely free, runs on Windows, OS X, and Linux, and boasts a feature list to rival most of the paid options out there.

Read next: Best free and cheap photo editing software

You can use Audacity for both recording new audio and editing existing files, and the software supports multiple tracks and a variety of effects. Audacity also supports a wide range of formats and audio quality levels, for both importing and exporting, and is compatible with loads of third-party plugins to extend its functionality even further.

Despite all that power, Audacitys interface is still pretty friendly, making it both accessible to audio amateurs and powerful enough for the pros, which is why its our pick for the best free audio editing software.

Get Free Audio Editorfor free

Truly the Ronseal of audio software, Free Audio Editor does what it says on the tin, and offers plenty of options along the way. You can use it to record audio through a microphone or simply to edit files using a variety of ready-made tools and filters.

How well you get on with the UI will depend on your preferences. Rather than burying options inside menus, Free Audio Editor puts most of its tools upfront. That means it can be initially daunting, but once you get to grips with it youll be able to access the features and effects you want much more quickly.

Its worth noting one slight downside: the installer will do its best to make you install a few bits of third-party bloatware, so read every page closely and use the custom installation options to remove all the extras you dont want.

You can find out more in our Free Audio Editor review.

Sign up to Soundtrapfor free

Soundtrap is most notable not for what it is, but for what it isnt: a desktop app. Thats because Soundtrap is actually entirely cloud-based, running within a computer browser, or in the Android and iOS apps.

Designed primarily for musicians, it allows multiple users to collaborate online on projects, using Soundtraps tools to record and edit audio. It has a variety of loops and samples included, along with some virtual instruments to help you write new music wherever you are.

Of course, you dont have to use Soundtrap for music, but if youre hoping to use it to record podcasts or lectures, its worth bearing in mind that it will be limited by the memory capacity of your browser. That means youre unlikely to be able to record continuous audio for longer than half an hour or so - any longer and you risk losing it all.

Soundtrap has two tiers of paid subscription options, but the free plan still gives you access to 720 loops, 151 instruments, and the ability to work on up to five projects at a time.

Get WavePad for free for Windows, iOS, and Android

WavePad is a pretty solid free audio editor for Windows and iOS, let down mostly by the fact that a few features are locked and exclusive to the paid versions. There are a decent number of tools and effects in the free version, and an attractive UI, but it cant quite match Audacity.

Read next: How to record system audio on your Windows PC

Still, where WavePad earns its edge is that it isnt just available on your computer: it also comes with apps for iOS and Android. These are more powerful than you might expect for mobile audio editors, and have clearly been modelled closely on the main desktop application.

That in itself might be a good reason to pick WavePad as your desktop tool too - it means you can have a consistent experience across your devices, getting used to similar layouts, tools, and effects no matter where youre working.

Get Acoustica Basic Editionfor free

Acoustica is a powerful, fully-featured audio editing platform that looks and feels more professional than most of the other free options available. It comes with a variety of tools, and is particularly good at noise reduction, which makes it great for cleaning up old recordings.

Its worth bearing in mind that there are paid versions of Acoustica available, and some features are held back for these. Some, like 7.1 surround sound, feel like understandable luxuries, but the omission of multi-track editing from the Basic Edition will no doubt rule Acoustica out for a fair few people. Still, if youre only planning to work on simple, single-track projects, or think you might want to make the leap into a paid tool down the line, then this is a great choice.

Get Wavosaur for free

Wavosaurs major selling point over the other free audio editors in this round-up is its sheer portability. Theres no need to install it, so you can just stick the .exe file on a USB stick, ready to use on any PC you like without an installation.

Despite being so lightweight, it still packs in plenty of features. You have your standard-issue editing tools, along more advanced stuff like pitch shifts, vocal removal, and batch processing, all across a variety of input and output formats. Oh, and it supports VST plugins so you can expand the feature set pretty easily if you want.

Updates to the software are sporadic. The last was in August 2016, and before that December 2013, so dont expect regular patches. Still, the base software is already solid enough that you shouldnt let that put you off.

OK, so technically speaking, Ardour isnt free. But since it uses a pay-what-you-want system with a minimum donation of $1, we feel like its really close enough to count.

Ardour is a full-featured DAW that runs on Windows, OS X, and Linux. You can import audio or record your own, and cut, copy, move, fade, trim, mix, and sync to your hearts content across unlimited multichannel tracks.

This is an expansive, professional-level piece of software, created by musicians and for musicians, so its not for the faint of heart. If youre totally new to audio editing then Ardour will likely be daunting (you could even say using it would be arduous), and because its open-source software developed by a small team, you cant expect much technical support. But if you already know what youre doing and want to get a full DAW at a fraction of the price, then give Ardour a look.

Formerly owned by Sonic Foundry, then Sony, and now Magix, Sound Forge is an audio editing staple. The Pro version will set you back a meaty 299, but the cheaper Audio Studio will suit most peoples needs just fine at 44.99.

Its currently Windows-only, but as youd expect from the price you get an impressive array of features for your money, including plenty of built-in effects and support for VST plugins. Bear in mind that a few big features, like multichannel audio and customisable keyboard mapping, are held back for the Pro version, so think about whether youll need those or not.

So why would you consider paying 44.99 for Sound Forge rather than opting for a free editor? Polish. You get a slick, user-friendly UI, making it quicker, easier, and more pleasant to work in the program. There are also built-in interactive tutorials, so if youre relatively new to complex audio software then Sound Forge would be a great way to get a grounding in the basics.

Adobes applications tend to be a good place to start when youre looking for any advanced creative software, and Audition is no exception. Now a part of the Creative Cloud subscription service, its available at a relatively friendly price given its advanced feature-set - especially if you only want it for a one-off project, rather than an ongoing subscription.

It has all the features youd expect from pro-level software, including multi-track mixing and non-destructive editing, along with a user-friendly UI. As with Sound Forge, theres an extensive array of tutorials available, so you dont need to throw yourself in at the deep end if youre relatively new to high-end audio work.

Best of all, theres a free trial, so you can get to grips with the basics, work through a few of Adobes tutorials, and then decide if youd like to stick with Audition or try out one of the free alternatives.

Best apps for iPad & iPhone: 17 brilliant photography, work, weather and travel apps for your iOS

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Best free audio software: Free Audio Editor - PC Advisor

Mark L. Hopkins: The Second Amendment and Shays’ Rebellion – Sleepy Eye Herald Dispatch

Mark L. Hopkins More Content Now

This is the second in a series of columns that relate to the purpose of the Second Amendment and the gun rights issue that continues to fester in our society. The first column pointed out the strong desire on the part of the leadership of the country to have a strong federal government. The focus here is in the feeling of necessity in the leadership to have a means to enforce federal law and to protect the government from citizen rebellions. The Second Amendment became the law of the land in 1791. Prior to that Daniel Shays, a former captain in the Continental Army, became the leader of a citizens rebellion in Massachusetts in response to what Shays and other farmers believed were high taxes and a government that was unresponsive to their grievances. In January 1787, they raided the arsenal in Springfield, Massachusetts and continued their anti-government rebellions through the winter of that year. This was two years before the writing of the U.S. Bill of Rights with its all-important Second Amendment. Retired General George Washington was so upset by Shays Rebellion that he wrote three letters commenting on it. Excerpts from these letters follow: But for Gods sake tell me what is the cause of all these commotions. Do they proceed from licentiousness, British influence disseminated by Tories, or real grievances which admit of redress? In a second letter he worried that, Commotion of this sort, like snowballs, gather strength as they roll, if there is no opposition in the way to divide and crumble them. I am mortified beyond expression that in the moment of our acknowledged independence we should by our conduct verify the predictions of our transatlantic foe, and render ourselves ridiculous and contemptible in the eyes of all Europe. Later he wrote, If three years ago any person had told me that at this day I should see such a formidable rebellion against the laws and constitutions or our own making as now appears, I should have thought him a bedlamite, a fit subject for a mad house. Shays Rebellion was eventually put down when a group of wealthy merchants in Boston pooled their resources and created their own militia to quell the uprising. In the early 1790s, a second major rebellion began in Western Pennsylvania. It was called the Whiskey Rebellion and, again, was a revolt against taxes. Thus, the Second Amendment was written and signed into law in the shadow of these two major citizens rebellions. The U.S. Congress reacted to this second major rebellion by passing The Militia Act which gave teeth to the Second Amendment by requiring all military-age free adults to stand for service to enforce the laws of the Union, thereby insuring domestic tranquility. President Washington himself gave orders to form a militia of 13,000 men to put down the Whiskey Rebellion. His words later were ..this is how a well-regulated Militia should be used to serve the government in maintaining a strong security in each state, as the Second Amendment of The Bill of Rights intended. From the letters written by George Washington and the actions of Congress it is obvious that the purpose of the Second Amendment was to strengthen the Federal Government against rebellion and insurrection. It was not, as some contend, to equip the citizens to make war on the government. In fact, it was just the opposite. My first of the three gun rights columns focused on the desire of the U.S. leadership to have a strong central government and the means to protect that government from rebellion. In this column the focus has been on the like-minded efforts of both President George Washington and Congress to put teeth in the Second Amendment so security and an orderly society could be fostered. My third and final column on this subject will come next week.

Dr. Mark L. Hopkins writes for More Content Now and Scripps Newspapers. He is past president of colleges and universities in four states and currently serves as executive director of a higher-education consulting service. You will find Hopkins latest book, Journey to Gettysburg, on Amazon.com. Contact him at presnet@presnet.net.

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What is Trump’s 2nd Amendment Coalition? (VIDEO) – Guns.com

On Nov. 3, Donald Trump announced a group of grassroots and mainstream groups as well as public figures called theSecond Amendment Coalitionwith the sole purpose of protecting Second Amendment liberties.

While many of the groups and individuals already service the mission, it was unclear whatthey would do as a conglomerate.Guns.com caught up with two of its members, gun maker Jesse James and six-time Olympic medal winner Kim Rhode, at SHOT Show in Las Vegas in January 2017 to discuss more about it.

The coalition is really about bringing a lot of industry and experience to the table to help, advise and give him the best advice opportunities to help the industry that we can, saidRhode.

At the top of the list for James is universal concealed-carry reciprocity. If youre fingerprinted and youre double background checked and youre firearm trained to have a concealed carry license in your state, that should transfer to every other state. And it doesnt now, he said. There is currently a bill in Congress that hopes to achieve this.

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What is Trump's 2nd Amendment Coalition? (VIDEO) - Guns.com

Hungary to DEFY EU & refuse to let migrants leave country before processing asylum checks – Express.co.uk

Migrants who have arrived in Hungary will have to stay in makeshift camps across the nation unless they decide to return home or their application is successful and they can move on, a spokesman for Hungarian prime minister Victor Orban announced last night.

Mr Kovacs, a spokesman for Mr Orban said: Liberty comes only after security.

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If you are not able to provide security for your own country, how can you guarantee liberties

If you are not able to provide security for your own country, how can you guarantee liberties?

The new policy expected to be rolled out by Hungary could put the sovereign state in direct conflict with the EUs own migrant policy, which urges nations states to accept a certain amount of refugees.

Mr Kovacs himself blasted the Brussels bloc and claimed it was lagging behind reality when it came to tackling the migrant crisis.

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A Migrant is helped to wash tear gas from his eyes after clashes with Hungarian police at the Horgos border

He added: Everybody who comes to the EU as a migrant is basically coming illegally.

We are going to introduce a new measure and that is no migrants can move freely up until there is a final legal decision, whether they are entitled for political asylum or refugee status.

They will not be allowed to move freely within the country.

Mr Kovacs announced that migrants will be given food, shelter and education, which is in line with international rules, but that the scheme would stop the systematic abuse of the Schengen zone which allows free movement of people between EU member states, minus Britain.

Mr Kovacs said: Within Schengen it is impossible to stop this, you have to reinforce the borders and establish the rules.

If you dont put physical barriers on the borders, human traffickers are going to carry on their business.

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The Hungarian leader was among one of the first European leaders to publicly support Donald Trump during the Presidential campaign.

When quizzed if the election of President Trump had made such policies easier to implement, Mr Kovacs said: We believe that a change of perspective in the United States helped others to respect the Hungarian position.

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Hungary to DEFY EU & refuse to let migrants leave country before processing asylum checks - Express.co.uk